1. Technical Field
The invention relates generally to a device for removing moisture and other contaminants from a gaseous stream. More particularly, the invention relates to a gas contaminant separator which is placed directly in the gaseous stream to remove moisture and other contaminants therefrom. Specifically, the invention relates to a gas contaminant separator which forces the gas stream along a circuitous route, while varying the gas pressure and velocity by passing the gas stream through a plurality of converging, and subsequently diverging fluid paths while acting upon the gas stream with a magnetic field.
2. Background Information
Devices for removing moisture and other contaminants from a gas stream have been known for some time. As power generation plants become increasingly environmentally conscious, the popularity of gas contaminant separators also increases. Specifically, moisture laden gases such as natural gas or methane are not as combustible and thus are less economical to burn for power generation. Additionally, other contaminants, such as brine, crude oil and distillates which are normally contained in minor amounts along with the gas emitted from a natural gas well, will off-gas toxins when the gas stream is combusted for power generation or industrial purposes further increasing environmental risks. Alternatively, if the off-gas by-products of combusted natural gas, or other gas, is collected for reprocessing, such reprocessing substantially increases the costs of operating the power generation plant. The combustion of pure gas streams, absent contaminants such as moisture and crude oil, thus creates the most environmentally and financially responsible combustible gas stream.
Additionally, alternative gas streams such as hydrogen and helium which are often utilized in industrial environment, are best utilized when the gas stream remains substantially pure. Contaminants in the gas stream not only create an environmental or safety hazard, but may also substantially reduce the effectiveness of many gases when utilized in industrial environments thus substantially increasing operating and production costs associated therewith.
While gas contaminant separators have been utilized in the past, and are presumably adequate for the purpose for which they are intended, conventional gas contaminant separators are based on gravity separation of minor amounts of liquid contaminants from the gas stream. Such contaminants cannot be permitted to flow into gas distribution systems, either in power generation, residential natural gas distribution systems, or industrial systems where they can cause pluggage and reduce gas flow. Such prior separators have been rather massive in dimension having substantial weight requirements to withstand the pressure of the emitting gas. Such equipment has commonly required cranes or front end loaders for their positioning adjacent to gas storage facilities or natural gas wells as well as being less efficient and more costly to manufacture. In such gravity type separators, the theory of operation has basically involved the creation of small droplets of liquid on broad surfaces of packing material with the effect of gravity being relied upon for separation of the liquid droplets from the gas stream. Such separators have previously encountered problems of pluggage where ceramic type packing material has been employed which permit deposition of materials from water and brine on the packing, for example, when removed from a gas stream, such as natural gas, over substantial time periods. The previous occurrence of such pluggage has increased the cost of natural gas wells, and industrial gas distribution system maintenance and reduced the free flow of gas requiring more frequent shut downs for maintenance and replacement of separator components such as the common packing materials.
In order to substantially reduce the size of the gas contaminant separator, it is believed that by varying the pressure and velocity of the gas stream while simultaneously passing the gas stream through a magnetic field, the contaminants, including moisture, will precipitate out of the gas stream. Specifically, it is believed that passing the gas stream through a perforated plate thus creating a converging flow stream and a subsequently diverging flow stream will align long chain molecules as the gas stream moves through the plate perforations at high velocity. Moreover, passing the gas stream across a magnetic field will cause polar molecules to align. While many molecules include a polar constituent, many contaminants, including water molecules, are strongly polar such that these molecules will tend to align along flux lines of the magnetic field more dramatically than the remaining molecules of the gas stream, such as natural gas. The long chain molecules thus align both because the gas stream passes through a perforated plate, and also because the gas stream passes across the magnetic field.
As the gas stream converges to pass through holes in the perforated plate, it is believed that the conservation of angular momentum will cause the gas stream to spin faster as linear velocity increases, and pressure falls. Inasmuch as conservation of angular momentum causes increased spin during converging flow, if a spin were imparted to the flow, the conservation of angular momentum would cause heavier long chain molecules, including contaminants and water to move to the center of the spinning fluid, and thus precipitate out creating a cleaner gas stream. The prior art gas contaminant separators did not utilize the conservation of angular momentum in the fluid stream, and did not operate to pass the stream through a magnetic field.
Therefore, the need exists for a gas contaminant separator which includes a minimal number of moving parts, while simultaneously assuring that contaminants, including moisture, are separated from a gas stream, such as natural gas.